A species-area curve is drawn by plotting the number of species against the area. How is it that when a very large area is considered the slope is steeper than that for smaller areas?
While considering a large area to assess the species-area curve, we need to understand the advantages offered by a large area. A larger area means more resources and thus a higher number of plants. This will provide more food to sustain more individuals. Thus, it will result in a greater number of species than what is possible in a confined area. This explains the occurrence of the steeper slope when we draw a species-area curve for a large area.